Meet Gavin, Business Intelligence Analyst at QBE Insurance

My name is Gavin Walmsley, and I’m a 27-year-old Irish professional. I graduated with a degree in Business Studies, majoring in Risk Management & Insurance, from the University of Limerick. I then completed a postgraduate degree in Agile Business Analytics.

I’ve been in my current role as a Business Intelligence Analyst at QBE for nearly two years. My role involves a variety of responsibilities, including creating new reports, troubleshooting and fixing existing reports, engaging with stakeholders across the business, and addressing a wide range of ad hoc queries. I use tools such as Power BI, Tableau, SQL, and Microsoft Power Platform to deliver valuable insights and solutions.

QBE was my first role in data, having previously worked in the insurance industry. I was glad that QBE valued my insurance knowledge while giving me time to develop my data skills, which I had primarily developed during my university studies. The combination of technical problem-solving and industry relevance makes this role particularly exciting for me.

I really enjoy the team dynamic. Everyone has their own strengths, and there’s a genuine willingness to share expertise when problems arise. This openness creates a culture of continuous learning, and I’ve found it invaluable to develop my skills. I also appreciate how approachable my colleagues are. I can easily chat with someone in the office or give them a quick call to resolve a query.

Another aspect I love is how innovation is encouraged within the team. If someone identifies a way to streamline a process or make it more efficient, my manager ensures we have time to explore and implement those ideas. New initiatives and creative thinking are not only welcomed but actively supported, which makes the work environment exciting and forward-thinking.

I also enjoy developing new skills in areas like Power Automate and other tools. QBE allocates time for personal development, which allows me to practice and refine these skills. It’s rewarding to see how these skills can be used to optimise our processes and improve workflows.

Finally, I enjoy working on projects because they give me dedicated time to focus on one issue, which can be a refreshing change from the variety of tasks in BAU (business-as-usual) work. It allows me to dive deeper into challenges and see the bigger picture.

One of the achievements I’m most proud of is my involvement in my first funded project at QBE. I contributed to important changes for a key Power BI project, collaborating with other teams across the organisation to ensure the correct outcomes were achieved. This project allowed me to enhance my technical skills and build relationships with colleagues across different departments.

I’m also proud of my contributions to some of QBE’s strategic goals. For example, I helped run a business-wide survey to measure our team’s performance and establish a benchmark for stakeholder satisfaction. This initiative provided valuable insights that will help guide our efforts moving forward.

Additionally, receiving praise and constructive feedback from these projects has been incredibly rewarding. It’s helped me improve going forward and made me feel valued as an employee.

A typical day for me starts around 9 am when I log in and check my emails, as well as our shared team mailbox for any incoming queries. At 9:30, we have a team SCRUM meeting to discuss our JIRA tickets, address blockers, and review our shared mailbox to ensure all queries are handled efficiently.

After the SCRUM, I focus on BAU tasks, which often involve resolving issues with existing reports. This can include troubleshooting missing data, fixing incorrect figures, or identifying the root cause of any anomalies. I balance pressing tasks by communicating closely with my team and prioritising the most urgent issues. This collaborative approach ensures that no critical task gets overlooked. If I encounter an issue I’m stuck on, I usually call a colleague to go through the problem together. It’s great to be able to bounce ideas off someone more experienced and sponge up their insights, which helps me not only solve the immediate problem but also build my skills for the future.

Throughout the day, I also attend meetings with stakeholders or team updates to ensure alignment on broader goals and priorities.

Currently, I’m working on a gap analysis project as part of our transition to a new data warehouse. This involves identifying missing data that needs to be added to the new warehouse to ensure its accuracy and completeness. It’s been a great opportunity to sharpen my data analysis skills and contribute to a project with long-term value for the organisation.

At the end of the day, I make sure my JIRA tickets are kept up to date to ensure clarity for myself and the team. I also double-check that all pressing matters have been responded to, so nothing important gets overlooked.

If you’re thinking about applying to QBE, I’d say go for it! QBE has been a fantastic place for me to learn and grow, and they truly support their employees. I think QBE stands out as the most flexible organisation I’ve personally worked for. My manager has been hugely supportive of my personal development, and the company actively encourages us to dedicate time to building our skills through platforms like DataCamp for technical learning and more.

For anyone applying for a role like mine, qualities like adaptability, curiosity, and a willingness to learn are key. Having experience with tools like Power BI, SQL, and Tableau can definitely give you a head start, but don’t worry if you’re not an expert. There’s plenty of support and resources to help you develop these skills once you’re here. Just come with a willingness to learn and an open mind.

If I could go back to when I was considering this role, I would have focused more on understanding QBE as a company and its DNA, as QBE deeply values it. If you find that it resonates with you, then you definitely have a spot in QBE.